Comment on "Where Are We?"Anonymous said...
Does anyone read the papers? Kissimmee has been working on a plan to revitalize Vine Street and make it a place where people can work, live and shop. Just once I would like you to cover something positive. Even when you think you do, you put a slant on it and turn t into a negative. You can cover both good and bad and still keep you edge or whatever you are trying to do.
July 28, 2007 7:15 AM
Does anyone read the papers? Kissimmee has been working on a plan to revitalize Vine Street and make it a place where people can work, live and shop. Just once I would like you to cover something positive. Even when you think you do, you put a slant on it and turn t into a negative. You can cover both good and bad and still keep you edge or whatever you are trying to do.
July 28, 2007 7:15 AM
Our Response:
First we would like to say that we read the local newspapers when we can get our hands on them. It has been two weeks since any of the WayneWho staff has received a paper in our driveways, so we had to go out in search of our favorite reading material. We are not sure what is going on with our local newspapers, given their recent reductions in staff and the increased amount of advertising space in each issue, but it is obvious that their ability to dig into the story behind the story has been hampered. We believe that news is more than printing press releases or parroting governmental talking points.
We share the same positive hope for the Vine Street project as you. But we admit to being a bit pessimistic when the City Commission doesn't seem to be aggressively moving toward the goal, allowing for interim projects like the Sports Authority school project because the new vision of Vine Street hasn't come to fruition yet. We hope that the city will get the zoning changes done for the corridor quickly so those property owners who have been sitting and waiting for the new zoning can move forward with their projects and be the new pioneers for the area. But we also thought that our comments reflected what we have heard in the community...many who live here would love to see the landscaping and wide sidewalks that define the Beautivacation area come East onto Vine St.
Our "sources" for our daily un-news articles are the conversations and background that fill the coffee shops and eateries where our staff members frequent. The perceived negative slant from our satirical stories is flavored from the conversations of the community. When their mood turns positive, we assume ours will as well.
Thankfully we really do not need an edge since we do not have to sell our positions to readers, nor do we have an ax to grind. For now our edge is in allowing debate and offering un-news that may be contrary to what others are publishing.
6 comments:
I think your un-news is great.
It's obvious that you have a larger readership than the local subsidized "news." I work for the county and my best friend works for the schoolboard, and everybody within all local governments are talking about Wayne Who. Maybe that's why the papers are just parroting, they are at the mercy of the almighty tax dollar that can be shut off by the local bureaucrats as fast as its turned on. Wayne Who, don't pay any attention to those who can't help but defend the liberal tax and spend policies of these local good 'ole boys. You're the best un-news in town! Get'em taxes!!!
The city has talked and talked about the 192 project for years with nothing done. Take a drive down 192 start at the east end at 192 and Boggy Creek and drive westward. You will find in no particular order: the Transition House (formerly East Gate Motel), the Budget Inn, Apollo Inn, Motel 9, empty gas station SW corner Main/Vine, Lambert Inn, old Kissimmee Inn (vacant for years), Hardees (vacant for years), Publix (vacant for years), Sports Authority (vacant for a year or so), Golden Crystal Inn, Twin Dragons (vacant for years), Sizzlers (vacant for years), Chinese Rest (vacant for years), Sonny's (vacant for years). Several other low rent motels that the names elude me at the moment. Low rent motels that put a burden on Public Safety.
All the evaluators for the All-American City had to do was take a drive down 192 and me thinks, that would have nixed any awarding of that.
It is depressing. I too hope that something can be done. But as shown, these have been vacant for years.
But at least we have alot of Amscots now. Maybe there is an All American Amscot award we can apply for.
I love your site too but also feel that you are beginning to get too negative. With regards to all the empty buildings on Vine Street...Just like any other business - customers are needed in order to survive. Perhaps we all need to realize that and start spending our money locally and not drive to Orlando.
Too Negative!!! WTF!!! These folks are probably the most straight forward with out being negative news source out there. If you are referring to the folks that comment to the news stories Wayne Who posts, then you are barking up the wrong tree. I am glad to see that Wayne Who lets these people comments get put on on this site. It is about time we heard information from the people instead of being told what we are supposed to think by the "subsidized media".
You keep on track WayneWho. You've got my vote.
Quote: "Just like any other business - customers are needed in order to survive"
Agreed, but what is there to draw me to the 192 corridor from Hoagland Blvd. eastward? Back in the day this was the place to be mainly because everything west of Hoagland was undeveloped except for the Bamboo Bar and the big orange and 535 was a dirt road. This is where the tourists had to come to find what they needed. Times have changed. The new stores are all near the 535 intersection or The LOOP and what is left in the "Tackytown" strip is a mishmosh of closed stores and a pseudo-mall that is esentially defunct. Even Hooters couldn't survive here. The operating costs combined with less customers spells doom for the retail businesses here. Waiting for the tourists to return to this area is pointless. This area needs help before it starts to look like Orlando's once thriving and prestigious area--Orange Blossom Trail.
A school will do it!!! A school for troubled kids!!! That is the answer!!! Tourists and locals alike will flock to the SA School. And I know companies like HealthSpring, Algoma, or Staubach were looking for prime real estate right next to a school for trouble kids when they were moving their headquarters. Brilliant.
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